December 2020
by linzackles
Summary: The world is theirs but she doesn't come to his door after seeing it, nor does he show her it. They share it – once per year. [Lightly Christmas-themed for the Klarochatmas drabble exchange]
1. Part 1

This is for my amazing fellow Klarochatters without whom this year wouldn't have been even nearly as awesome (though I probably would've gotten more sleep lol). Thank you to all you lovely ladies and I hope you enjoy this. Love you like Klaus loves Caroline's smile.

Also a huge thank you to all my followers who have stuck with me throughout this year and read all the weird and wonderful stuff I've come up with – y'all are great and I love you so much. Your reviews give me life and make me feel like we're on some kind of epic journey together. Anyway, this is just me with my Christmas nostalgia coming in but basically thank you.

This takes place in a post 4x23 universe minus any babies or general TO BS. I'd recommend paying attention to the dates, especially in the second and third parts. Pretty please review if you happen to like.

Enjoy and merry belated Christmas :)

* * *

><p><strong>Part 1<strong>

December 2020

Her hand flew over the card, penning the words almost as quickly as they flowed from her mind.

They fell from her lips too as she checked to make sure that each one sounded right and sincere.

Ordinarily her thoughts made their way out verbally but she'd found herself becoming quieter; taking advantage of the written word.

It was something people felt safer with – being able to compare what was missing to what was there; cherish the physical indent above where skin had once swept paper.

She practised her calligraphy with the knowledge that it would be appreciated, maybe even preferred over her rambling.

She liked to observe now.

Matt's daughters enjoyed making fun of her when she sat in the corner of a room, something warm pulled over her legs tucked beneath her.

They called that she was getting old; glorying loudly in the perceived irony.

But she liked to watch and notice all the things that were easily missable. She used all her senses, training them to pick out tiny objects in the distance or light breathing coming from the next house.

She liked how it merged her with her surroundings more and made her feel more independent.

So Caroline's hand kept moving even as her observant hearing stayed finely tuned to the gusts of wind that whipped at the wood of the cottage. The snow had given Greece a slight reprieve today, instead letting the sun shine for a few moments every now and then, illuminating the Christmas cards she was finishing up.

She wrote the greeting on Elena's before closing it and slipping it into its waiting matching envelope. That quickly went atop the large rectangular box, one of multiple gifts sitting on her desk.

Caroline froze.

A dip in the air; a slight change in the breeze.

The trees whispered of disturbance and the trodden snow sang chorus.

She stood; passed the drawer with carefully whittled stakes inside, brushing just past walls before halting by the front door. It was made of a thick heavy wood and she could hear the pounding of his heart right through it.

She took a breath then swung it open.

* * *

><p>March 2013<p>

"Oh my god."

"Hello, Caroline," he smiled.

She had nothing more to say, which was rare for Caroline Forbes. She always had something to say.

But for once she'd allowed her paranoia to slip and had stopped worrying about him showing up around every corner and teasing her with his dimpled smirk, pretending like they'd been travelling together all along.

Now she was stunned by it all; his general presence and everything that went along with it.

And, honestly, stunned by the fact that it had taken him so long.

"W-what are you doing here?" was the first thing that came to mind. "You look… good," was second.

He smirked and she wanted to slap herself for not being in control of her tongue right now.

"Looking for you, of course," he replied shamelessly, drawing out the chair opposite her.

"Why?" she spat, finally pulling herself together.

He sat and folded the napkin over his lap.

A shrug.

"Do I need an excuse?"

"You're going to need a tourniquet if you don't _stop_ making yourself comfortable and _start_ giving me some proper answers."

A chuckle.

"I've missed you."

"Could've fooled me," she muttered before she could think to stop herself.

Over the past year she'd grown unaccustomed to the presence of vampires; constantly muttering things to amuse herself or complain.

He looked genuinely pleased.

"You expected me sooner?"

She rolled her eyes. "_Expected_, not wanted."

"Your previous bitterly expressed statement suggests otherwise, sweetheart."

She huffed, wishing she could think of something to rid him of that smug expression but came up with nothing. Instead she folded her arms over her chest and glared.

He smiled, unfazed.

"Shall we order?"

* * *

><p>December 2020<p>

"Fancy a walk?"

She leaned against the doorframe and for a solid few minutes they simply stared at one another, neither able to hide soft grateful smiles as they acclimated.

Her eyes roamed his form, noting the deep red collar at his throat and the black leather jacket; dark jeans.

His hair was perfect; auburn stubble at just the length she liked it.

She left the best for last, her gaze appraising his gleaming eyes then down to the dark pink of his tilted lips.

He stood in the sea of snow outside the cottage, far away from the porch and even further from her, but she didn't let the distance affect her thorough examination.

After one last look she took a step back into the warmth of the cottage.

Caroline inclined her head.

"Egg nog's inside."

His eyes lit up and he looked down bashfully, chuckling a little before starting up the porch.

* * *

><p>March 2013<p>

"London or New York?"

"Ok, you cannot ask me that!"

He chuckled, clearly taking great pleasure from her dilemma before turning his attention back to finishing his tiramisu.

She smiled too in spite of herself and ate the last bit of cheesecake on her plate before taking a sip of her champagne.

It was their third bottle.

Klaus had cited their reunion as reason enough for the first and from there the bubbles had just kind of flowed, the waiter refilling her flute the second its contents dropped below half, undoubtedly on Klaus' order.

"So… what now?"

He smirked. "You'd like to do something with me?"

"A: I just did, which wasn't by choice, by the way. And B: _no_, I _meant_ can you leave now."

He looked amused then spread his palms.

"Certainly."

She concentrated on keeping her expression blank and he smiled gently, inclining his head.

"Or, if you'd like, I could show you a little more of what the city has to offer."

* * *

><p>December 2020<p>

He stepped right up to her.

She met his eyes for a few seconds then blushed, ducking her head before stepping aside.

"Your home is lovely. How long have you been here?"

Klaus walked into the lounge and she followed, noting his heat coming off in waves, warming the cottage; his scent permeating the furniture.

"Two months."

"How long do you plan on staying?"

She shrugged. "I think I'm doing New Year's in Amsterdam so I'm not sure. Till it gets warmer, maybe."

He found the kitchen like he knew the way; she followed like she didn't.

"You know you're lucky you caught me. I'm leaving tomorrow."

He turned with a smirk. "Luck has nothing to do with it, love."

She laughed, a light blush grazing her cheeks.

"Right, I forgot. You're practically a professional stalker."

His smile was light; teasing.

"The time of year; you've been burning through your supply of wood for the past week and packed up your car last night – I inferred you were homebound."

Her heart skipped a beat.

"You've been here all week?"

He nodded, watching her closely. "I believe we agreed on once per year."

She turned away, busying herself with getting out glasses and finding the ladle.

"That doesn't necessarily mean _one day_ per year, you know." Then quickly: "I mean, if you're in the area, it just makes sense."

He didn't reply for a while as she worked and when he finally did speak, he sounded pleased.

"I'll keep that in mind for next time."

She rolled her eyes, biting back a smile even though he couldn't see her face.

"Whatever."

She spooned the egg nog then turned to hand him a glass, noticing his arched brow with a frown.

"What?"

He smiled but it looked slightly uncomfortable.

"I was surprised to find you alone."

She recoiled in surprise, taking it as an insult at first, before realisation dawned and she nodded in understanding.

"Right. We've never seen each other around this time of year before."

"I suppose I assumed you spent it with someone," he said with averted eyes, sipping the egg nog.

She fidgeted before taking a deep breath.

"I don't have a _someone_." Then she forced a laugh. "Although I did get proposed to recently."

Klaus' head snapped up sharply, regarding her questioningly.

This time her laugh came freely. "Relax, it was just a local."

"Whom you slept with."

Her gaze hardened. "One of them."

She finished the last of her egg nog then moved to place the glass in the sink.

When she turned Klaus was right behind her.

She swallowed a gasp as his hand brushed over her arm.

"And you... refused?"

Goosebumps rose and her eyelids fluttered, fighting to stay open.

There was a catch to the once-per-year visiting system they'd agreed on – when they got back together everything felt ten times more electric; her skin so raw that even his gaze burned deep and had her breathing hard.

"I considered it," she teased, taking his glass from him.

Turning, she placed it in the sink beside hers, wondering if the spreading heat in her belly was because of the warm drink or something else entirely.

"And?" he asked, his breath fanning over the inside of her neck.

"Rock wasn't big enough," she replied loftily.

He chuckled with lips so near to her shoulder that she practically felt the vibrations.

"What a shame. Poor last must have been heartbroken."

She laughed a little, rolling her eyes, before she gasped sharply when his hands landed on her hips.

* * *

><p>March 2013<p>

She was giggling.

She'd been alternating between giggling and full-bellied laughing for the past few minutes so she barely even thought about it when she swiped the key card and let them both into her hotel room.

"Espresso?"

Klaus nodded. "I'll get it."

She frowned, about to protest, but he'd already passed her and she followed behind him into the kitchen area of the hotel room with furrowed brows.

"Just stand back and relax," he said, getting to work.

She eyed him but obligingly took a few steps back, leaning slightly against the counter behind her.

Still, she wasn't about to let him get away that easily with ordering her around.

"So what, you're back to the gentleman act now?"

He chuckled. "_Act_?"

She opened her mouth then shut it again audibly.

She didn't have a comeback – it wasn't like he'd done anything particularly _un-gentlemanly _tonight, but things had become more… casual between them.

He'd snuck her into secret rooms behind museums; pulled her into parties they hadn't been invited to before swiping cocktails and leading her to the roof, where they'd sat on the skylight and he'd made her laugh into the night.

It had all made it easy to forget the guy in Mystic Falls who had courted her so thoughtfully, almost too much so. For once she'd forgotten to pick apart the cunning from the sincerity, too busy thoroughly enjoying herself with him.

With_ Klaus._

He turned to her as if having heard her thoughts, an eyebrow raised.

She fidgeted before averting her gaze.

"I just meant…" Caroline trailed off, hoping it would be enough, but he still stared questioningly.

She worried at her lip for a few seconds before looking back up with a shy smile, feeling her cheeks warm a little.

"I just meant I had fun."

Klaus continued staring for a second before a light smile of his own danced up onto his lips, his eyes gleaming more than they had as they'd stargazed at her insistence.

Suddenly he turned away again and she blinked in confusion, but her smile widened when he quickly turned back with an offered cup.

"Thanks."

He nodded, still looking at her mystically, and her cheeks burned as she looked down to blow at her espresso.

Seeing his feet grow closer, Caroline's heart began to pound in her chest as she fought away the urge to lean further back.

"You know," he started, and she looked up, "I don't believe I've mentioned how radiant you look."

She blushed then tried to hide it with mock modesty.

"Oh, this old thing."

He smirked, amused. "I didn't mean in that. Or today."

She frowned and he slowly brought up a curious hand to caress the apple of her cheek.

"In general. You're radiant."

Her hand clamped onto the ear of the cup so as not to relax completely and find it crashing to the floor.

She swallowed heavily before grasping for the first thing she could think to say.

"So then you don't like the dress?"

Klaus chuckled lightly and his hand whispered down into her neck, sending tiny shivers across the expanse of her skin.

"You look magnificent in it."

She moved on autopilot.

Her hand reached back to set the cup down, both their eyes following the action; the tiny clink of the porcelain hitting the marble a welcome assault on their sensitive hearing.

Her eyes darted back to him and again they both watched as her still-warm hand crept into his neck.

For once, Klaus Mikaelson's expression was blank. There was no smirk or taunting or smugness. If anything, it was a hint of anxiety tucked in the corners of his eyes.

Her hand hooked around the nape of his neck, pulling herself up and closer to his lips just as her other hand, cold, snuck into his neck too.

The kiss was quick, chaste.

But he didn't have time to open his eyes before her lips were back on his, moving against them enthusiastically as she tilted her neck encouragingly. Klaus took the hint and with a smile she slid her tongue into his mouth, relishing in the taste she found there.

Her fingers bit into his collarbone as she explored his mouth, lingeringly at first then quick and hungrily, feeling in every part of her body where this was heading.

Eventually Caroline pulled away, reluctantly, to look up into the wide blue oceans of his eyes.

She smiled, cocking her head; a temptress.

"What about out of it?"

* * *

><p>December 2020<p>

Caroline sucked in another breath as his hands moved down and underneath her dress, up onto the skin of her hips then around between her thighs.

Her head fell back and her mouth opened expectantly but Klaus wasn't rushing anything, his hands taking their time to explore her silky skin, rubbing teasing hot circles.

She was surprised to hear herself moaning, the soft sounds coming of their own accord; incited only by his slight touches.

It had been too long.

"Bedroom," she breathed hotly into his ear. "Right, two doors down the hall."

But Klaus simply continued on as if she hadn't spoken and she sucked in a breath before turning her head to glare at him.

She was about a millisecond into the action when Klaus captured her lips with his, pulling her into a breathtaking kiss that she all but completely disappeared into.

There had been quite a few Greek men. Tanned with rock-hard bodies – young, desperate and ready to please; older and experienced with all the right seductive looks and touches. _There had been quite a few Greek men._

None of them had kissed her like this.

Her entire body was on fire just from his touch and the brush of his lips; the taste of his tongue and sensation of it in her mouth again, unquestioningly claiming it as his own.

She disappeared into it. So much so that when Klaus pulled away her eyes fluttered open to see the black and white butterfly decals on her bedroom walls.

Caroline took a few moments to suck in deep breaths before shaking her head with a smile of disbelief.

"You're good."

They were both kneeling on her bed and Klaus trailed a finger down over her butt and onto her hips.

"I haven't even begun, sweetheart."

She giggled and he smiled a little too before deliberately roaming his eyes over her form. She shivered imagining all the things he was thinking about doing to her.

His other hand slid behind her to pull down her zipper before he used both to lift her dress up and over her head in one smooth movement.

Caroline thanked her lucky stars that she only wore matching underwear nowadays as Klaus sat back to appraise her black and pink candy striped lingerie set.

Wetting his lips, he ran a hot thumb over the lace detail on her bra and her eyes fluttered closed at the rough pad of his finger caressing the top of her breast.

Caroline let him tease her for a while before she pushed forward, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him against her body before kissing him hard, licking and nipping at his lips.

Klaus growled into her mouth and pulled her closer, his hands going into her hair to tug roughly at the loose curls. She whimpered then kissed him harder through half-formed pants as his hand slipped down to curve of her butt, squeezing lightly.

Caroline pulled away from the kiss then nuzzled into his neck, breathing heavily between laying hot kisses at his throat as she rubbed herself against him, relishing the feeling of the rough material of his jeans against her thin underwear.

Suddenly both Klaus' hands were at her waist and he pressed forward, gently but firmly letting her down against the mattress.

Caroline's breath hitched as his lips trailed from her neck down to her chest.

He rose to undo the clasp on the front of her bra then ducked his head against her.

Her back formed a high arch at the contact of his mouth on her breast, his tongue the perfect balance of teasing and pleasing.

Her fingers pulled through his hair then brushed over his back haphazardly and with fluttering eyelids she realised that Klaus was still fully dressed even as she lay in only her panties.

Breathing heavily, she wrapped her legs around his waist and slid the leather jacket from his shoulders before moving to the front of his shirt to undo the buttons.

Her hands froze when he sucked on her roughly; her body arching up even further and her head falling back, moans escaping her lips.

Her entire body was tensed in pleasure for the few seconds before he used his mouth to kiss her gently instead. She was a burning wreck as he hungrily moved on to her other breast. She wanted to curl her hands into his hair but resisted the urge in order to finish undoing the rest of his buttons.

She'd just finished pushing off his shirt when his lips made contact with her taut stomach, the kisses light and re-acquainting. She liked the way it felt, the way his stubble tickled familiarly at all the right spots, but she also felt hot tingles in places that wanted him harder and faster against her; to leave the proper re-accustomisation for later.

But mercifully his kisses lowered and Caroline nipped on her own lip in anticipation.

His lips started lower down her thighs, his kisses alternating legs, but moved up quickly and she hummed her encouragement, reaching down to wrap her hands into his hair.

His fingers preceded his mouth and Caroline drew in a sharp breath, spreading her knees wider as she tried in vain to keep her body still.

She moaned his name loudly when Klaus' tongue touched then entered her and her relaxed back arched again; her hands curling into tight fists around his blond locks.

Her eyes practically rolled back into her head when he began sucking and she called his name louder, spurring him on.

It didn't take long.

The pressure built and in seconds her body roiled, feeling as if everything inside had spontaneously shattered.

Her body continued to shake as tiny explosions followed but Klaus didn't stop and seconds later she felt herself drop over the edge again, drowning in the pleasure of her second orgasm overlapping with the first.

She wasn't sure what her body was doing or where Klaus was as she rode the waves; followed the stars popping across her vision.

After a while she vaguely felt two kisses on her thighs before a body hovered over hers and lips settled into the nook of her shoulder, huskily saying her name.

She cradled his body with hers, putting the soles of her feet flat on his bare butt. He must've gotten undressed somewhere during the time when she'd been too far gone to notice but she didn't pay much attention now either, focusing on the way he felt against her and how much she wanted him; how she was ready for more.

"I've missed you," he muttered into her ear.

She nodded in agreement – she'd missed him too; _this_.

Caroline littered kisses over his shoulder then down to his chest, happily noting his resulting groans.

"I want you," she said against his heated skin.

The words always irrevocably turned him on and this time was no different – Klaus cursed into the hollow of her neck before he ran his hands down her legs and thrust forward.

Caroline's jaw dropped open soundlessly, the words and yells swirling and disappearing in her throat. He kissed her before beginning to move, swallowing her moans as she swayed her hips up against his.

The sensations becoming too much, Caroline pulled away from the kiss and threw her head back, whimpering loudly as she curled her fingers into his skin.

Then she pushed him away and quickly sat up, settling into his lap instead before taking his lips with hers again; her fingers curving into the crown of his head punishingly.

Klaus growled as he pushed back into her and her hands moved to scrabble down his back, leaving angry red marks as she felt her release closing in faster and faster, Klaus picking up the pace.

The kissing quickly grew less frantic and desperate, their lips brushing only lightly as they were both distracted by the building pressure and pleasure sparking throughout their bodies.

With her last shred of sanity Caroline moved her lips from his mouth to his shoulder and pulled them back over her fangs before biting down deep and eagerly drinking his rich dark blood.

Klaus sucked in a sharp breath and his fingers dug into the skin at her waist, his free hand dropping down between her legs, desperate to let her finish first as he teetered on the precipice of his climax.

Caroline orgasmed with Klaus' blood still seeping onto her tongue and streaming down her throat and she didn't move her mouth as they both shook against each other, filling the air with uninhibited groaning, hers muted against his skin.

She continued to ride him and Klaus helped her movements with a hand on her butt as he bottomed out with heavy pants.

Finally she drew to a still and his arm wrapped around her lazily before he fell back against the pillows, taking her with him.

Caroline withdrew her fangs with a satisfied moan before licking up a few stray droplets of blood and moving to lay on his chest.

"God, that was amazing sex," she mused breathily.

"Now, don't go giving God all the credit, love."

Caroline giggled. "Well, it _is_ Christmas in a few days."

He smiled a little as he stroked her hair and she laid tiny kisses down on his chest.

She was revelling in the way her entire body was buzzing, realising that it was only with Klaus that she could simultaneously feel both entirely sated and like she wanted to climb atop him and go another round.

Klaus shifted beneath her and she turned around to ask him what was wrong when she realised that he was no longer behind her.

Her head whipped around and with relief she caught sight of him standing by her desk, evidently having spotted the pile of presents there.

Along with her essentials they were the last things she'd be packing into her car tomorrow morning, and they all sat primly wrapped as Klaus examined the stack.

He picked up the top card.

"And what is _Elena Gilbert_ receiving?"

She blushed at him studying her calligraphy and answered demurely.

"There's this new pop yoga craze starting up and Elena's into it. That's one of the special mats they use with some other accessories."

Klaus nodded thoughtfully before turning to look at all the gifts.

Caroline pulled her bottom lip into her mouth as she looked at the lines of his body, the perfect curve of his butt and his toned legs and arms; the dimples on his lower back.

A small involuntary smile broke out onto her face as she realised that she'd just had all of that wrapped around her; that the sexiest man she'd ever met and was currently shamelessly eyeballing was _her lover_.

A sly thought occurring to her, Caroline looked around for his shirt then quickly crawled to get it and pulled it on.

She was doing up the buttons when Klaus turned back around and his brow shot up at seeing her in his shirt.

She pulled her hair out from beneath the collar, letting the fluffy blond locks spill onto the deep red of the shirt.

"What do you think?" she grinned.

He smirked. "I think if you're trying to seduce me you're doing a fine job, sweetheart."

Deliberately she parted her knees, quirking an eyebrow, and he groaned.

"Don't tease, love."

She giggled then crossed her legs with an innocent smile.

He shook his head with a low chuckle before gesturing at the pile of gifts.

"Nothing for me."

Caroline scoffed. "I didn't know you were coming," she pointed out. "Did you get _me _anything?"

Klaus looked mysteriously amused and he cocked his head.

"How about that walk now?"

She pulled a face. "Seriously?"

He nodded and she rolled her eyes.

"Fine. But only if I can go like this."

Klaus once again appraised her in his shirt, a slow smirk growing on his face.

"Considering we're impervious to the cold I have no objections, but I _think_ you may need shoes."

She rolled her eyes but obligingly pulled herself off the bed to look for her panties and snow boots.

"You better be right about the cold thing because I'm not dealing with vampire frostbite for your random need to be out walking in icy weather."


	2. Part 2

**Part 2**

April 2016, Peru

"Klaus, it looks gross, don't make me!"

He chuckled. "Trust me, you're going to enjoy it."

"It looks like something the chef scraped off the bottom of his shoe," she grumbled with a wrinkled nose, only adding to Klaus' amusement.

"How about this," he proposed, attempting a straight face, "you eat it and if I'm right and you like it, I get to spend the night."

Caroline pulled the sheet up closer around their bodies, nuzzling into his neck.

"I thought I'm not supposed to get something I want if I lose."

* * *

><p>July 2015, Paraguay<p>

"Seriously, it's too early for the Christmas movies," Caroline complained.

Klaus pulled her closer and readjusted the blanket over them.

"You're the one who wanted to stay in and watch TV, love," he reminded gently as he changed the channel. "Besides, you don't particularly strike me as the Scrooge type."

She sighed. "I'm not, I love Christmas. I just hate it when it all starts so early; it takes away from the actual day, you know?"

He didn't reply and she popped her head off his chest to look at him, an elbow propped up on the backrest.

"What do you do for Christmas?"

He shrugged. "Dig out my best bottle of scotch and ignore my sister's texts."

She giggled. "So no different than any other day, then?"

He smiled lightly at her quip, brushing a thumb over her bottom lip.

"What about you?"

She grinned. "Stefan and I bought this mountain cabin just outside Mystic Falls and we all go up there a few days before Christmas and spend it together, just cooking and relaxing and catching up."

Klaus listened interestedly before he frowned, clearly mentally taking inventory of those involved.

"And you all make it out alive?"

"Yes," she laughed. "Barely so, but yeah."

"Sounds lovely," he noted sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes. "Actually it is. And seriously entertaining – Matt's married now and Jeremy brings someone new around every year so the new blood is always fun."

Klaus smirked. "I'm sure you give them a good dose of antagonism."

She grinned with a deceivably innocent little shrug. "Just doing my part."

Klaus put the remote down and circled her waist with one hand as the other moved up into her neck and he pointedly scooted closer.

"Perhaps we should forget about the TV."

* * *

><p>December 2017<p>

Caroline bit her lip at the memories flitting through her mind as if on a vengeance.

Especially the thing she thought about every time she thought about Klaus these days - their most recent encounter.

"Bet I can guess what's going through that pretty blond head."

Caroline's head snapped up, her gaze immediately darting toward the man in the doorway, watching her with a smirk and teasing grey eyes.

"What is it, Damon?"

He shrugged, entering the kitchen. "Everyone's waiting for you so we can eat."

"Oh," she replied inelegantly, feeling guilty. "Sorry, I'll be in in a minute."

But he didn't leave, approaching her behind the kitchen counter.

"So how's about that guess?"

Caroline sighed then folded her arms to turn and glare at him where he stood.

"Seriously?"

He only looked amused and she threw up her hands with a huff.

"Fine. _Guess_."

He took a few steps closer, picking up a wedge of cucumber from a platter nearby and popping it into his mouth.

"A certain Original hybrid."

Her breath caught and her eyes widened.

Damon smirked and she quickly sputtered in an attempt to cover her initial reaction.

"Why on earth would I be thinking about him?"

He looked even more amused as he shrugged dramatically. "Maybe it's all the meetings in uber romantic locations that's messing with your head; who knows."

Her jaw dropped and two things occurred to her: that acting like she had no idea what he was on about had just flown right out the window and that Damon knew much more than she'd thought.

"Have you been having me followed?"

He shrugged again. "Every now and then, to make sure you're safe."

"Aw Damon, I didn't know you cared."

He scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself, Barbie. If I don't know whether you're alive or not then I won't know if I have to get you something for Christmas; it's just practical."

She smiled disbelievingly. "Uh-huh."

He rolled his eyes. "And, you know, Elena actually likes you for some reason."

"Just admit that you care about me, Damon," she giggled.

He glared for a second then shook his head and grabbed another wedge of cucumber.

"For your information I have the Original Ass followed too."

"Wait, you worry about Klaus' safety too? That's really sweet, Damon."

His brow arched and he glared at her, annoyed. "_No_, my own."

She smiled at her own joke and his reaction before shaking her head.

"You don't need to worry about Klaus, seriously. Unless you start trouble with him he doesn't wanna do anything but leave you guys alone."

Damon seemed to absorb this before smirking. "He tell you that on one of your dates?"

She sighed, folding her arms. "They aren't _dates_. We just... run into each other sometimes."

"Right," he nodded sombrely. "And do you happen to be naked when you run into each other?"

She gasped. "Oh my god, Damon!"

He laughed, genuinely amused by her reaction.

Then his face straightened out and he took a thoughtful step forward.

"You know, your mom brought these little caramelised onion and apple tarts which look pretty gross but taste _delicious_."

Caroline frowned, wondering where on earth this line of conversation had come from and where it was going. Still, she humoured him.

"She's taking an exotic cooking class."

Damon nodded, accepting the information, before finally letting on to its relevance: "Tell you what - you give me one of your tarts and your Original rendezvous stay private."

Caroline wanted to giggle at the childishness of the offer – it was so Damon.

She bit on the inside of her lip before confidently stepping forward.

"Counter-offer."

He frowned. "I'm listening."

"You can have _all_ my tarts if you tell everyone once I'm gone."

A slow grin started on Damon's face and she couldn't help a similar one starting on her own as the gravity of what she'd just done rushed through her veins.

"Deal."

* * *

><p>February 2017, France<p>

"God, this is so beautiful," Caroline sighed for about the millionth time. "There aren't any words for how beautiful this is."

Klaus wasn't looking at the view but at her, watching the way she marvelled at what lay outside the window with wide eyes and cheeks flushed with excitement. There were truly no words for how absolutely breathtakingly beautiful she looked tonight.

"I understand the dilemma," he replied.

She hardly seemed to hear and a few minutes later she eventually managed to pull her gaze away from Paris stretched out below them.

She pulled a face. "Sorry, I'm ignoring you."

He smiled gently. "No matter, love. It's the Eiffel Tower, one would be amiss not to gaze out at length."

She smiled and Klaus was awestruck by the way the lights from the city below danced in her eyes, adding to the brilliance of her innate radiance.

"That's true but you did book out the entire restaurant," she said, turning to gesture at the huge empty room - tables set but with no diners besides them, who had the best view in the house, "so I think you deserve _some_ attention."

"Some?" he smirked.

She flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Yeah, I've got five minutes now and I can squeeze you in for ten after dinner."

He smiled, amused, but there was something much more in his eyes and she ducked her head beneath the intensity of the mysterious gaze.

A few minutes had passed before Caroline's blush cleared.

"So, question," she said, looking back up.

Klaus was still staring at her with that mystical gaze and a tiny smile he didn't even seem aware of.

"What?"

"Did you come today for a reason or don't one thousand year old vampires take note of Valentine's Day?"

He smirked. "Valentine's Day is tomorrow."

"Right. So are we just avoiding traffic or are you waiting for my Valentine to show up?"

He looked amused. "Which do you think?"

She shrugged. "The former. You can spy on my visitors from a distance."

He chuckled. "Neither, actually. I came today because you were in Paris, love."

Instinctively she knew that was the truth. Paris was their thing. And she'd be lying if she said she hadn't been hoping for him to show up from the second she'd stepped foot off the airplane.

Her blush returned lightly. "It took me a while."

She'd kept postponing the trip here, resulting in years of other traveling before she'd finally ended up in the city of lights.

"Monaco's lovely," he offered.

She smiled, deciding not even to address the whole having her stalked issue.

Not only did he mean well but it was also what allowed them these visits. Her location often factored into the timing of them almost as much as how long he could manage to keep himself away.

She nodded at his observation. Monaco had been great. A bit too lively sometimes, but she'd had the time of her life and seen some of the most amazing things.

Still.

"I love Paris," she smiled a little wistfully, sneaking anther glance outside.

"I'm –" she began, turning back to face him, but cut herself off when she could see she'd interrupted a thought. "What?"

He shook his head hastily. "Nothing. What were you going to say?"

She hesitated then shook off the feeling. If he wanted to tell her something he would. And he couldn't have wanted to tell her she had spinach stuck in her teeth because they hadn't had dinner yet.

She smiled elatedly. "I was going to say that I'm glad I waited. I'm glad I got to see it with you."

He looked affected but still managed a smirk. "You mean you aren't regretting your Valentine's absence?"

She grinned, rolling her eyes as she shook her head.

"I wouldn't wanna be here with anyone else."


	3. Part 3

**Part 3**

13 February 2017, 19:15

"You're quiet."

Caroline looked up from her plate with surprise before she remembered.

"Oh yeah, it's just this thing I've been trying recently."

He looked confused. "Being quiet?"

"Um yeah, kind of."

"And why is that?"

She shrugged. It was difficult to explain.

"It's just that being out in the real world has been kind of a learning process and one of the things I learned is that people aren't exactly big fans of rambling," she explained with a light laugh before shrugging. "And I started realising when I went back home that it's kind of a universal concept." She frowned. "Although the exception's my mom, because it all has to come out _sometime_, and I figure it's pretty much her duty."

Klaus looked amused by all this and she wanted to slap herself when she realised she'd just done the exact opposite of staying quiet but she resisted, opting to clarify.

"I mean, I do get it out in other ways. Writing, usually. But I just don't want to be talking people's ears off when they aren't even really listening or caring, you know?"

He nodded slowly, looking thoughtful. "I understand."

Her lips were turning up into a smile when he continued speaking.

"But please don't ever do that with me."

She frowned but he immediately looked away, out at the view.

She wasn't sure how she felt about his request. On the one hand it was kind of heartwarming to know that he wanted her rambling and random thoughts and had even managed the word _please_.

But it was the improved observational skills she'd obtained from less talking that had led her to the conclusion that something was currently bothering him.

"What's wrong?"

"With what?" he asked distractedly, not looking at her.

"You," she glared. "What's wrong with _you_?"

"What makes you think there's something wrong?" he asked, finally looking at her again.

She rolled her eyes. "Maybe because you're staring out the window and not saying anything."

Klaus gazed at her with hard eyes before sighing and looking down.

"Apologies, love, my intention wasn't to spoil the evening."

She groaned. "It's not spoiled, just – ugh," she groaned again, leaning over a little to grab up his hand.

He looked up, surprised, and honestly she wasn't any less shocked by her own action but she held him fast anyway, folding her hand into his.

"Tell me what's wrong."

He looked down at their joined hands, his jaw clenching before he brought his eyes back up to hers.

"It's juvenile."

She stared pointedly and he smiled a little in spite of himself.

There was silence for a minute then he shook his head before beginning to speak, and she realised exactly how hesitant and ashamed he was to say whatever he was about to, which only furthered her intrigue.

"I suppose I imagined that when we saw Paris together, we'd..."

He trailed off and she suddenly understood.

"We'd… _be_ together?" she completed.

He didn't reply, averting his gaze to their hands.

She felt her heart beating wildly, seemingly from her throat, with creeping guilt.

Caroline couldn't help wondering if he'd thought that was why she'd been waiting to come here.

If maybe it _had_ been why she'd been waiting.

She looked away too.

"That _is_ pretty juvenile," she laughed a little. "But you know what would be even more juvenile?"

He looked up with a frown. "What?"

"If we had a go-phrase."

Klaus arched a brow. "A _go_-phrase?"

She almost giggled at the alien way his accent laced around the word.

"Yeah, like..."

When_ I decide; _if_ I decide._..

Caroline hesitated with which word to use next, knowing whichever way she went would mean a thousand different things.

"Say I decide that it's time and I want to be with you, there should be something specific I get to say, right?"

The Original only looked more confused. "Or you could say just that."

"Seriously?" she groaned. "That's so boring! We need a code-phrase, like in a Bond movie or something."

Amusement had begun to flood Klaus' features and he shook his head before regarding her with a smirk.

"If that's what you'd like, love."

"OK," she grinned happily, almost doing a little clap.

She wasn't sure if she was more excited about the idea or about the fact that she'd actually managed to cheer Klaus up.

She knew he wasn't taking this seriously and she didn't blame him but considering she couldn't allow herself to engage in their future together just yet, talking about it was about as close as she could get.

Lowering her voice, she leaned over the table conspiratorially.

"The diamonds are buried beneath the burning sun."

Klaus blinked once then burst out laughing.

It was something that happened so rarely that Caroline took the opportunity to stare and appreciate it, though slightly miffed by him laughing at the phrase she'd picked and actually thought was pretty awesome.

Then she pulled a face, blushing a little. "Too Bond?"

Klaus nodded between laughs.

"I think it could do with a little work."

* * *

><p>December 2020<p>

The snow had started up again.

But it was light and she barely felt it at all after stepping down from the porch with Klaus.

"So, post-sex walk as requested – where are we going?"

Klaus smirked at her description then pointed straight ahead.

She frowned. "Into the forest?"

"Any reason why not?" he asked curiously.

"Besides the fact that it's totally random and probably where serial killers conduct their business, nope nothing at all."

He chuckled and stepped forward and she followed.

They began walking together and in the silence another little something occurred to Caroline.

She moved her hand toward him slightly, not much more than a twitch, and he smoothly caught it in his – wove his fingers through hers.

It was as if they'd choreographed the action or performed it before at all.

They hadn't.

She smiled at him and he returned it lightly before looking away again, clearly leading them somewhere specific.

"Where are we going?"

"We'll be there shortly and you'll see for yourself."

"You're annoying," she complained and satisfactorily noticed his lips curl up.

She also noted the way he rubbed her hand a little, the heat spreading from the back of her hand where his thumb gently trailed.

"So how did your negotiations with the sheikh go?" she asked, remembering his business dilemma from the previous year.

He smirked. "You first take me to bed then enquire after my business?"

She used their linked hands to hit him, glaring as he chuckled.

"Just answer the question."

He still looked amused but shrugged. "Unfortunately he didn't make it. Heart, I believe it was."

"Of course he didn't," Caroline rolled her eyes. "I'm guessing by heart you mean it got ripped out?"

He grinned at her and it was infectious – Caroline couldn't help a mirroring smile spreading onto her own face.

She rolled her eyes again, letting him know that she was annoyed in spite of the smile, and looked away to focus on where they were going.

He was leading them further and further into the forest, winding every now and then, and after a few minutes Caroline spoke again, unable to any longer bury a thought she'd had since the second she'd pulled open the front door.

"This is the first time you've come this late in the year."

Maybe she wouldn't have said anything, not the Caroline who so carefully chose her words these days. But he'd told her not to keep anything back from him and besides, she was dying for an explanation.

"You're pondering at my reasoning?"

"Why it took you all the way to December when usually you don't visit any later than July? _Yeah_."

He smiled secretively to himself. "I have my reasons."

She glared at him. "Seriously?"

He let out a breath, sounding almost frustrated.

"Perhaps I theorised absence would make the heart grow fonder," he said, a little bitterly.

She absorbed his words and tone, trying to process them into something that made sense.

Her heart skipped a beat when she figured it out and she swallowed the lump that had spontaneously formed in her throat.

"It's been a while since the last time we had sex," she nodded slowly.

"2017, if I'm not mistaken."

"I know what you're thinking," she started, fidgeting with the edge of Klaus' shirt. "But it's not about what you said."

"That's a little hard to believe, sweetheart."

She bit at her lip guiltily, unable to keep denying and lying about it.

She thought about that night at least once every day.

"I'm sorry, Klaus, I just – "

He abruptly stopped walking, bringing her to a standstill beside him.

"There's no need to apologise. I don't expect anything from you, Caroline." He shook his head decidedly. "I shouldn't have brought it up."

She swallowed, quickly shaking her head. "I'm glad you did."

They'd never talked about that night again, making for a pretty awkward elephant in the room on March 3rd 2018 it coming up now felt like a breath of fresh air she didn't know she'd needed. Granted, the breath hurt and stung a little, but it still made for some type of relief.

Klaus' jaw clenched as he nodded jerkily before removing his hand from hers and using it to gesture.

_"This_ is why I waited."

She frowned in confusion then followed the way he was gesturing towards, rounding a tree.

Caroline stopped immediately, gasping sharply as her gaze caught sight of the giant tree before her.

Just like all the others they'd just passed, it was mostly covered in snow, but this one was different. This one had hundreds of glass ornaments hanging off its branches and thousands of small round points of white light glowing everywhere.

He'd decorated a forest tree for her for Christmas.

"Oh my god."

"Tell me He doesn't get all the credit for this one too," he murmured from behind her.

She spun to look at him, expecting to see a smirk, but all she found was his eyes searching hers for approval.

Yet she found herself unable to say that she liked it or that she loved it or that it was the most beautiful thing anyone had ever done (or had had done, because Klaus _so_ totally hadn't scaled a ladder and hung those lights himself) for her. She was too stunned to say _anything_.

She turned around again, her jaw slack as she gazed at the frosted tree sparkling brilliantly in the dusk.

It was just so freaking beautiful; her very own winter wonderland Christmas tree.

After a minute she finally caught her breath and said the first thing that came to mind as she noticed the bare snow beneath the tree.

"What, no presents?" she teased, shooting him a glance over her shoulder.

He smirked. "I thought my presence was enough."

She rolled her eyes with a small giggle, looking back at the tree.

Suddenly Klaus stepped forward a little, his chest against her shoulder, and before her a chain materialised with a diamond encrusted pendant in the shape of a key hanging on it.

She gasped, her gaze following the chain upwards to find it hanging from Klaus' hand.

"Klaus," she whispered in disbelief.

"Shall I put it on?"

She nodded vigorously, finding herself tongue-tied once again, and he moved behind her.

* * *

><p>13 February 2017, 17:11<p>

"Klaus, no."

"We'll just take a peak, come on," he encouraged, all but pulling her along.

"Klaus, it's _Tiffany's_. Do you know what that means?"

He spent a second thinking, mocking her.

"Too much blue embellishment?"

She glared. "I'm serious."

"I know you are; you're also being entirely ridiculous," he pointed out.

Caroline huffed. "When people hear that you've gone into Tiffany's they think… _things_. It always happens to celebrities, I mean Jennifer Lawrence went in there the other day and suddenly she's probably engaged to like three different guys!"

Klaus smirked through her tirade, looking more and more amused.

"Well unless you have the paparazzi following you, love, I think we're safe."

She scoffed and folded her arms, biting on her bottom lip. After a minute of them staring each other down she finally relented with a roll of her eyes.

"Ok, fine… but _no_ buying."

Klaus nodded sombrely. "I promise."

"Seriously."

"I'll leave my credit cards on the sidewalk," he replied with a straight face.

She glared then passed him, pushing open the door and entering the store she'd dreamt of seeing the inside of since she'd been old enough to know what it sold.

It didn't disappoint in the least. In fact it actually outdid her wildest expectations.

Honestly it looked more like someone's giant fancy house than a jewellery store – someone who owned so much jewellery that they needed to display it in tons of clear glass cases and still had money left to throw around.

Klaus had been right, there was a significant amount of blue, but there was also a lot of silver and from the ceiling hung crystal chandeliers. Upstairs she could see light blue loungers and silver leather chairs near consultation desks before her gaze flew back to their immediate surroundings, taking in the diamonds practically blinding her through the glass cases surrounding them.

"Wow," she breathed.

Realising something, she spun around. "Klaus, why isn't anyone in here?"

The entire store was silent; not even a jeweller or salesperson in sight, never mind any customers.

"Slow day?" he suggested, attempting and failing to hide a sly smirk.

She glared. "_Yeah_. I'm sure _all_ the men in Paris just decided not to buy their girlfriends jewellery for Valentine's Day this year."

He shrugged animatedly. "Perhaps they went elsewhere."

Shaking her head, she turned back around. "I can't believe you."

She started walking, looking into glass cases with passing interest. What she really wanted to do was stare at every item for a few hours but she also didn't want to give Klaus the satisfaction.

"Well I need to perform at least one dastardly deed per month and depriving the men of Paris of buying exquisite jewellery for their lady friends seemed appropriate," he teased, following behind her at a distance.

She glared at him over her shoulder then continued walking.

With a whoosh he was before her and she turned up the glaring as he gave her his best puppy dog eyes.

"What do would you guess my motivations to have been?"

She folded her arms angrily. "I don't know, buying me everything in here because you're crazy and clearly have no concept of what going overboard means?"

He looked amused then immediately straightened his face when her glaring intensified.

He spread his palms. "I promised not to buy you anything and I won't."

She stared at him for a few moments but he looked sincere enough and she narrowed her eyes.

"No weird loopholes?"

"We won't leave with anything more than we came in with."

Finally convinced, she threw up her hands.

"Ok, fine, I believe you but then why _did_ you do all this?"

"To avoid all those pesky shoppers," he readily admitted. "I'm sure you can agree that this experience is far more calming than a bunch of panicked lads milling around."

Caroline hesitated for a second before giving the shop another look.

She couldn't say he was wrong.

Instead of bustling through a throng of shoppers, she had the place entirely to herself to browse in utter peace. She didn't even have to deal with salespeople aggressively trying to provide 'help'.

She was getting the royal experience at _Tiffany's_.

Caroline couldn't help a grin from spreading on her face and Klaus' expression mirrored hers.

"Thank you."

He nodded and stepped forward a little, sweeping her lips into a short kiss that was over as quickly as it had begun.

Caroline's eyes fluttered open and stared into irises that suited their environment perfectly.

She ran her tongue over her bottom lip lingeringly before grinning.

"I'm assuming this experience comes with champagne?"

He chuckled and immediately disappeared, speeding off.

With an indelible smile Caroline began wandering around the store.

It was massive and she had no doubt that she'd have to stay in here for hours if she intended on seeing everything at least once. Still, she felt guilty thinking about the poor frantic men probably trying to get inside.

Besides, she still had to get back to her hotel room to change before their dinner plans. Klaus was surprising her with where they were eating which meant at least an hour of worrying about whether her outfit would suit the atmosphere of wherever they were going.

She'd have to get the best look she could before dragging Klaus out.

Suddenly something caught her eye as she passed a mounted case and Caroline stopped abruptly, the air leaving her lungs as she stared through the glass.

She wasn't sure why it in particular had stopped her – maybe the diamonds encrusted into the pendant or the rose gold colour of it – but the piece of jewellery _was_ stunning.

The chain itself was simple but the pendant was a thin elegant key, the head a clock with four roman numerals marking off the time with a circle of tiny diamonds in the centre.

"You like it?" Klaus asked from behind her.

She jumped a little at his voice then laughed, taking the offered champagne flute.

"Yeah, I think I do." She frowned, turning back to it. "I don't know why, though – I guess this is where those trusty salespeople come in handy."

He chuckled lightly. "Is that so?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "they tell you what it represents and why you need it and totally leave out the price."

Klaus leaned down and forward a little and she felt his smile against her cheek.

"Perhaps I should give it a try."

She smiled too, allowing her to relax into his body.

"Since you sent away all the people who actually work here, I don't think you really have a choice," she teased.

He chuckled again before stepping them forward so they were closer to the glass and he took a breath, eyeing the pendant thoughtfully.

"Well it's a key."

"Good job so far," she nodded.

He slipped a finger beneath her camisole and tickled her waist.

She screeched, laughing. "Ok, ok, no more sarcasm!"

Seemingly pleased, he removed his hand.

"It's rose gold – "

"Wow, I can really tell you're an artist," she couldn't help teasing. "You know, you should just quit your day job and find out if they're looking to hire."

She sipped her champagne with a giddy grin as she noted Klaus' glare out of the corner of her eye.

She was having fun, which was usual on her days with Klaus but this felt different somehow and she couldn't help thinking that the difference lay in the intimacy. With him perching on her shoulder and her teasing him about jewellery, she supposed it wasn't hard to be, but what was strange was how she felt about it.

She never wanted their days together to end. But now she felt like every other day was a backdrop for this one; like _this _was the life she was supposed to be leading, not the one she spent the other 364 days of the year living.

"You said you wanted symbolism," Klaus continued, albeit sounding a bit miffed. "It's a key, which usually represent unlocking something. In this case I'd say it's – "

"If you say your heart I'm going to gag – "

"– our future together."

She hesitated for a split second before craning her neck to look at him.

"_What_?"

He looked almost shy but voluntarily clarified: "Perhaps you were drawn to it because you are the deciding factor in whether there's a chance for us in the future."

Her cheeks burned as she continued staring straight at him, struck into stunned silence.

But he averted his gaze back to the necklace.

"And the clock to count the days." He sniggered humourlessly. "I notice there appropriately aren't any hands."

_However long it takes._

Caroline finally managed blinking but still had no idea what to say, looking away instead.

She looked back at the pendant, his words running through her mind; the key and its clock shaping into something completely different – the day when all of this would be permanent.

Her heart sped and her head spun as she noticed that he was right, there were no hands; nothing counting down the minutes or years.

She wished it had hands.

* * *

><p>December 2020<p>

Caroline took the pendant into her hand, looking down at it.

It was as beautiful as the first time she'd seen it, only now it was around her neck.

It hung low, skimming her breastbone, and she thought about waking up every morning and seeing it hanging above her heart reminding her of him and _them_.

As if it wasn't already a struggle to wake up with anything but Klaus on her mind – when he would be coming before he came and how long until next time after he'd left.

Klaus' arms laced around her waist and he buried his head in her hair.

"I can't believe you got me this," she said, still staring at it in disbelief.

"Merry Christmas, Caroline."

The pendant slipped out of her hands and she hesitated before lowering them onto his arms around her, hugging him closer to herself as she told herself to ignore the nervous tugging in her stomach and lighten the moment instead.

"So how much was it?"

He chuckled. "A good salesman never reveals the price until absolutely necessary."

She laughed, shaking her head a little as she went back to admiring the giant decorated tree before them. Maybe it was the size or its elegant decorations but Caroline still couldn't get over how amazing it was.

"You should totally come with me tomorrow," she thought aloud. "It's always crazy trying to agree on decorating the tree up at the cabin."

Klaus chuckled. "I would think that would be something even those dimwits would recognise is better left to you."

"Right!" she agreed, then groaned. "But Damon has… placement issues and Stefan has these ornaments he loves which are ugly as hell and almost as old. Like, god bless him, but the guy needs to learn to throw away his ancestors' stuff."

Klaus was fully laughing at this point, his body vibrating behind hers, and she continued with an annoyed huff as she recalled the past few years struggling with her friends.

"Matt's wife, Kristen, always wants fat little Santas _everywhere _and my mother just wants peace so of course she tries to convince me to just let everybody get what they want," she finished with a pout.

"And how exactly would I help this situation?" Klaus asked after hearing her out.

"Duh, _you_ can decorate the tree and offer hybrid bites to anyone who tries to interfere. Except me, of course."

"In other words you'd decorate the tree and I'd threateningly ensure that no one interfered?"

"You know me well," she grinned with a happy sigh, making him laugh again.

She liked the way she felt the vibrating of his chest through the thin fabric of his shirt on her back.

His arms tightened around her. "Not a terrible plan but I doubt your friends would take kindly to my presence even without the poisonous bite threats."

Caroline bit on the inside of her lip for a second then went ahead and said it anyway.

"Honestly I think they've all been half waiting for you to show up for a while now."

His body tensed. "What do you mean?"

She cleared her throat. "They know about us."

"Oh," he said, sounding surprised.

She couldn't tell if it was a good or bad kind of surprised but she was too nervous to turn and check.

"I can't imagine it having been well received."

She shrugged. "They've had a few years to get over it. Now I swear they keep expecting something to come in behind me and my suitcases."

"Remind me later to take offense at being placed behind the suitcases in that scenario."

She giggled for a little while before silence quickly engulfed them, something slightly awkward in the air.

_Are you mad I told them? _was the question on the tip of her tongue but considering how pathetic it sounded even in her own mind, Caroline didn't say anything.

Eventually it was Klaus who spoke.

"Why did you tell them?"

Caroline froze on instinct then quickly relaxed when she remembered that he could feel her every reaction.

But she didn't need to stress thinking about it anyway. She'd known what she was doing when she'd made the decision and she knew why now as well as she'd known then.

"Because you're part of my life and I wanted them to know."

He didn't reply and she stared hesitantly at the tree for another few seconds before twisting in his hold to finally see his expression.

He looked… bewildered.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in, breathing over his lips as their foreheads touched.

Klaus closed the gap, kissing her gently, but her fingers curled into the hair at the nape of his neck and she kissed him harder, pushing her body closer.

Klaus steadied her, his hands slipping up underneath the shirt and onto her butt, covering the lace-edged panties she'd hastily pulled back on.

She moaned into his mouth as his blunt nails dug into the soft flesh of her backside before pulling away, putting her lips to his neck instead.

"I think," she started between kisses, "we should… go back… inside."

Klaus groaned in agreement, lifting her legs to wrap them around his waist and she complied gratefully, pressing herself as close to him as possible and moaning lightly at the sensation.

"Hold on, love," he breathed.

She held on with her lips against his chest; her nails raking his sides.

* * *

><p>13 February 2017, 23:03<p>

Klaus' finger grazed her breast deliberately, rubbing hot teasing circles before changing the pattern altogether so she was never prepared.

She wanted to scold him, annoyed by the way he was toying with her body; how her back would keep instinctively arching at the contact, not to mention the bite marks she was leaving on her own lip.

But he nuzzled into her shoulder, kissing her neck, and Caroline eagerly lolled her head to allow him better access.

Her turned head meant she was staring out the window at the view of Paris Klaus' hotel room afforded him.

It wasn't often that they went to his place instead of hers but his hotel had been closer and neither of them had been willing to wait, Klaus not even allowing a few seconds for her to close the curtains – her underwear had gone the second they stepped into the room followed quickly by her ripped black mini dress.

So they'd probably given someone a good show but it also meant Caroline had something amazing to look out on as Klaus kissed her tenderly.

"Do you ever get used to how beautiful it is?" she sighed. "I feel like I could never get used to it."

Klaus didn't reply but took a deep breath and wrapped both his arms around her comfortingly. Gently he shifted them until they were both on their sides looking out at the view.

They were silent as they admired all the city lights and Caroline marvelled at the fact that they'd just had dinner in the Eiffel Tower she'd dreamt of going to her entire life and now she was staring out at it with a hot naked guy behind her like some kind of high-flying socialite.

"God, imagine living here," she mused. "I don't think I would ever get sick of waking up in Paris."

This morning, her first morning here, she'd woken with a grin no one had any business having pasted on their face at 6AM – unless they were in freaking _Paris_ – and she had no doubt that she'd be waking up the exact same way tomorrow morning.

"I'd have to learn to speak French though," she realised, pulling a face. "I mean I have one of those books with all the common phrases and stuff and I've been practising them but they speak so fast here, it's crazy."

"A beautiful language though," Klaus finally put in.

She laughed a little. "Let me guess: you're fluent?"

He smirked against the nape of her neck. "I decline to answer on the basis that you're absolutely going to call me a showoff if I do."

She rolled her eyes. Ok so _technically_ she'd done so whenever he'd been fluent in any other language in the other countries they'd been in but that didn't mean she planned on doing it now.

"You're so dramatic. I'm taking that as a yes." She craned her neck a little, trying to get a glimpse of him. "Say something."

He chuckled lightly. "Like what?"

"I don't know, you're the one who can speak it fluently!" she pointed out. "Some poetry or something."

He shook his head. "I'm still declining on the same basis."

She groaned. "I'm not gonna call you a showoff, Klaus."

"I haven't heard that before," he replied drily.

"_Once, _in Turkey."

"I remain correct."

"Whatever, just say something."

"No."

"The pledge of allegiance, then you won't have to translate afterwards," she tried persuading.

"Still no, love."

"You suck," she pouted.

Caroline huffed, training her gaze back on the lit Eiffel Tower as she all but mentally cursed Klaus for his stubbornness. The last time she'd been to France had been years ago and considering Klaus had made sure that they were alone all day, it had meant she hadn't heard French in a long time. And Klaus was right, it _was _a beautiful language, one she happened to really liked listening to.

And now he was depriving her of hearing even him speak it.

"Je t'aime."

She just barely caught his whisper and Caroline froze, her heart pounding as she translated and re-translated the two tiny words that meant way too much.

After a few seconds she turned in his embrace, opening and closing her mouth a few times before shaking her head to clear it.

"Klaus – "

He put a thumb to her lips, cutting off whatever she'd been about to say.

Quickly he replaced it with his lips, kissing her slowly and tenderly; drawing her breath away.

She drowned in the kiss as he pushed his lips against hers harder and harder, a lot like erasing all evidence of the words ever having left his mouth.

She made to move forward, intent on deepening the kiss, but Klaus moved his hand to her neck to hold her head still as he continued kissing her.

It wasn't leading.

The kiss was desperate and a little rough, but it wasn't foreplay. Honestly she wasn't sure what it was, but after a few minutes she had to pull away for a breath and her chest heaved, her breasts bouncing as she sucked in air.

His fingers drifted down past her neck and onto her chest, just above her breastbone, and his thumb circled the spot hotly.

His expression was thoughtful when she'd managed to catch her breath and looked up into his eyes.

He moved his other hand to stroke her cheek gently.

"Rattling you wasn't my intention."

She took a shallow breath. He was being so tender with her that she wasn't sure whether to say the words she had on her tongue, but he _had_ been the one to demand she never hold back with him.

"No offense but that only makes me wonder what exactly you did intend."

He smiled a little but it was pained and he fell backwards to look up at the ceiling.

"I suppose I wanted to ensure that you didn't take what I said earlier this evening as facetious."

She frowned questioningly and he clarified: "The description of the key."

"Oh," she said, her frown deepening.

She wasn't really sure how she'd taken it but it had never crossed her mind that he'd been joking.

"No," she shook her head, "no, I didn't think you were joking."

He nodded slowly, as if that were the end of it, before turning back over and immediately pushing her onto her back to hover over her.

She gasped at the sudden action then whimpered when his lips lightly brushed over her breasts, the feathering even more affecting than when he'd used his fingers.

Now his fingers traced her hips lightly, making her body arch slightly at the contact.

"I don't want you forgetting my promise, Caroline," he began huskily against her skin.

Her eyes fluttered closed at all the sensations even as she tried to pay attention to what he was saying.

"These visits are lovely but they aren't what I want."

"What do you want?" she moaned softly, the words leaving her lips of their own accord as he continued touching and caressing her, his fingers butterflying to her thighs.

"You."

She gasped, and it could've been at the words or what his hand had started doing.

"Not temporarily or for a day."

His kisses went higher and he took her earlobe into his mouth, causing her back to arch further, before speaking again.

"I'm waiting for you, Caroline, don't ever doubt that. The days I spend with you _are_ my entire year."

_Je t'aime. _

He may as well have said it again, the meaning coming across just as clearly.

His hand increased its pace and she bit back whimpers so she could pay attention to what he was saying.

Today was an anomaly: they never talked about these things usually, not the long-term be-together sure to end badly topics – those were always off the table. They spoke of his business and her travels and everything else, but never this, so she needed not to miss any of it.

He kissed down her neck and over her collarbone before moving up to her other ear.

"The day you say those words I won't hesitate even for a second before taking you into my arms and making you mine, Caroline."

She wanted to say something but her mind was blank and white hot with pleasure so she said the only thing left.

"Klaus."

* * *

><p>December 2020<p>

She tried to do it as softly as possible so he wouldn't hear but inevitably Klaus caught a tiny raw whimper and he moved closer behind her, trailing a thumb over the skin covering her carotid.

"The bite's healed, are you still in pain?"

For a second she actually considered lying, letting him think that she was still in pain because of his bite, but quickly shook the thought away with the knowledge that it would only create more problems than it would solve.

"No, I feel completely healed."

_Shit. _

Her voice had broken a little in the middle, not to mention the thick evidence in it that she'd been crying for the past five minutes.

"What's wrong, love?"

He turned her over gently and through teary eyes she saw how concerned he was.

The tears began flowing freely again and she mentally cursed as she shook her head before turning it to look away from him and out the window.

"Nothing."

She wasn't sure what exactly it had been. Maybe because he'd only come in December; maybe it was the key hanging around her neck.

Paris had been fun.

_Until_ Paris it had been fun.

Not his visits. Their visits in the years following had been a little weighted by awkwardness but she'd still been able to have fun with him despite her self-imposed abstinence.

It was the traveling that had lost its magic.

Suddenly every country and flight had become a chore. They were all beautiful and she had fun but instead of going to bed happy and exhausted she found herself struggling to go to sleep as she manically planned activities for the next day so she would be too busy to feel so… empty.

Her days with Klaus had become her whole year.

She didn't know if it was the poignant reminder the necklace served as or waiting all year doing exactly that – _waiting – _but she'd just come to realise that and she didn't know what to do with it.

What to do with feeling the same way for him that he did for her.

Suddenly Klaus grabbed up her hand and she looked back at him in surprise as he leaned over her with a furrowed brow and determined eyes.

"Tell me what's wrong, love."

She averted her gaze for a second then took a deep breath, deciding he deserved to know.

With her free hand she wiped her cheeks before meeting his eyes again.

"I've fallen for you, Klaus," she admitted, her voice still shaky. "I tried not to, but I have."

There was no better description for his expression than utterly stunned.

Klaus looked away quickly, laughing bitterly.

"I suppose crying is an accurate reaction to such a realisation."

Vehemently she shook her head, sitting up beside him.

"Klaus, don't do that. It's not about you."

"Isn't it?" he looked back over, angry.

She wanted to start crying all over again as frustration built up inside her.

"No! I'm just… I'm scared," she confessed, and a new round of sobbing did begin, wracking her body.

Tucking her legs underneath her, she turned away, feeling too vulnerable.

Not only was she before him without a stitch of clothing but she was now also crying and he knew it and that was too much.

After a few hesitant moments Klaus put his hands lightly on her shoulders then moved them down to her sides, using the grip to pull her over and onto him before lowering them both back to the bed.

For a few minutes Caroline let him hold her against his chest as she cried before she pulled away when she realised how wrong this was.

She couldn't let him comfort her; not about this.

She pulled her arm away from him and stood, reaching for her nightgown.

* * *

><p>14 February 2017, 00:04<p>

Caroline rubbed her arms as she stared out the window.

Paris was still just as beautiful.

But Klaus had left ten minutes ago, despite her protests that this was his hotel room, and they hadn't exactly parted on the best of terms. Instead of the usual sad but excited long kiss they usually shared, he'd dressed as she sat on the bed with crossed ankles and then he'd said goodbye and left.

She still sat in the same way, ankles crossed, but her naked body was now angled towards the window instead of the hotel room's door and she bit on her lip as he tried not to let those two words cycle through her mind over and over.

Because instead of hating him for saying it and complicating everything a thousand times over, she found herself thinking about how the first time Klaus had told her he loved her was in French in a hotel in Paris with a view of the Eiffel Tower, after having had a private dinner there. The idealistic little girl inside couldn't help feeling giddy about how romantic – fairytale-like, even – it had all been.

And instead of worrying about how awkward the next time they saw each other would be she wondered what it would be like to hear him say it in English; every other language he knew. She wondered what he'd been thinking right before he said it; the range of emotions that had no doubt crossed his face.

But that led to other places, like how put out he'd looked when he'd left and how his face the one time he'd glanced at her had spoken of being beat – he'd played all his cards and still lost.

It hurt to know that she'd done that to him.

She still sat gazing out at the city but in her mind she was back in her own hotel room, packing her bags frantically before flooring it to the airport.

Paris was still beautiful.

But Caroline was never coming back.

* * *

><p>December 2020<p>

She thought about that night a lot.

His simply uttered declaration of love especially, but also everything she'd felt after he'd left.

The decision never to go back because it would hurt too much. The decision to let her one and only day in Paris be the one spent with Klaus.

She wished she'd known back then that she loved him. She wished she'd been able to say it back instead of saying it now when she'd thought it through so much that she'd actually managed to spook herself and offend him.

Caroline could see him in the mirror from where she sat at the dressing table but she kept her eyes trained on herself as she spoke.

"I'm scared because I haven't felt this way in a long time."

She thought about Tyler then winced.

"Maybe ever."

She palmed the key around her neck. Klaus sighed heavily.

"Perhaps I should go."

He sounded frustrated and she felt terrible.

Quickly she turned around on her stool, swallowing her cowardice and forcefully shutting up the voice inside her that was so freaking afraid.

"I want you to stay," she admitted.

He seemed surprised by her request but shook his head a little, not meeting her eyes.

"You're leaving in the morning."

She nodded. "I want you to come with me."

Klaus' head shot up, looking at her with wide eyes.

She took a deep breath then stood, approaching the bed where he sat.

"Drive up to the cabin with me and spend Christmas with my mom and my friends," she proposed, before smiling brightly. "I'll even get you a present."

His shock had worn off and now he looked at her with something between confusion and amusement, a tiny smirk tugging on his lips as she sat beside him.

"I think you know what it is I want, love."

She couldn't help it, her breath caught.

Even after Paris, it was still nice to hear and be reminded of.

Slipping her silk gown from her shoulders, Caroline leaned forward till her lips brushed lightly against his.

"Then merry Christmas, Klaus."

She didn't wait for a response, kissing him with everything she had; wiping the dumb smiles off their faces.

She brought her knees up, straddling his lap as she wrapped her arms around his neck possessively, the key hanging loosely between their chests.

* * *

><p>13 February 2017, 19:45<p>

"Jiminy Cricket."

Klaus gave her a look and she threw up her hands.

"What? It's not like it would come up in everyday conversation."

Klaus smiled, shaking his head. "Honestly, love, I gave up on a viable phrase after Incy Wincy Spider."

Caroline giggled. "You sound cute saying that." She gasped as a thought occurred to her. "Maybe we should have a sex go-phrase! And it can be Incy Wincy Spider!"

Klaus smirked. "We do not need a sex go-phrase."

"Please? It could be something cooler like 'The egg nog's inside'."

Klaus looked slightly amused but still glared and she sighed, looking down at her plate with a huff.

"You know this is way harder than I thought it would be. I mean you'd think a short phrase that we rarely use around each other would be easier to find." She pulled a face. "I'm blaming you for being really difficult about agreeing to one."

He looked amused. "And I'm blaming your penchant for taking them from nursery rhymes."

She glared and he chuckled lightly before going back to his food.

Caroline frowned. She was usually good at things like this.

Not to mention how this had all started out as a way to cheer Klaus up and had now full on snowballed into desperately searching for the perfect phrase as if it had some magic property.

Caroline wasn't really sure what it was but she'd just latched on to the idea. Something felt important about it and, sue her, now she was just running with it.

Suddenly she gasped, loudly enough to immediately grasp Klaus' attention and make a chef stick his head out of the kitchen.

She smiled apologetically at the latter before turning to Klaus with a grin.

"I've got it."

Klaus sighed labouredly. "Caroline, if it's Old Mother Hubbard – "

"It's not a nursery rhyme," she assured excitedly. "It's something we _never_ say to each other and just cheesy enough to work but _not_ a nursery rhyme."

A tiny smile tugged at his lips. "Very well. Let's hear it, then."

She hesitated dramatically with a grin, already knowing this would be the one they decided on, even if she had to browbeat him into it.

And somewhere inside she felt a huge amount of excitement at the prospect of one day getting to say it to him.

"Merry Christmas."


End file.
